Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1887-01-14
Elizabeth R06Hers

man of District Assembly "a of Chicago,
and was one of its delegates at the recent
Knights of Labor Convention at Rich
mond. Her husband. George Rodgers.
was also delegate, though many of the
newspaper correspondents then reported
him as having been in his grave for six
months. He was taken i'll after his re-
turn from Richmond. and but for Mrs
Rodgers care would have died. Mrs.
Rodgers baby. Elizabeth Rodgers, is
the youngest Knight of Labor in the
world. 1t was born on Sept. 10, and
carried to Richmond on Oct l. 1t had
to be a Knight of Labor before admis-
sion, and was numbered 800. Master
Workman T. V. Powderly pinned on its
badge
Mrs. Rodgers was born in Woodford
which is situated on a beautiful arm of
Lough Derg, in the county Galway. Ire
land, on Aug %, 1S47 She emigrated
to this country when years of age with
her mother She lived a short time in
this city, and then went to London, On
tario. where her mother lives now.
Mrs. Rodgers is of medium statue. and
weighs about 100 pounds. She has light
brown hair. A pleasant, easy manner of
speaking distinguishes her. She is the
mother of twelve children nine of whom
are now alive-three boys and six girls
Mrs. Rodgers organized the first work
ing women union in Chicago more than
ten years ago, and was its presiding Off
Ger for two years. She was President of
the Eighth Ward Land League, and also
of the Daughters of Erin. She presided
at the memorial meeting in Chicago at
the death of Fanny Parnell. She has
been delegate to the State Trades AS
semby of Illinois for seven years and
the delegate from Local Assembly 1889
of Chicago to District Assembly "a for
four years. All this time she was Master
Workman of Local Assembly 1, 7S9 She
succeeded J. P. Murphy as Master W ork-
man of District Assembly "a this year
Mrs. Rodgers says: Il have had a
great deal of experience in strikes. My
husband, who is a moulder, has been
5lacklisted all over this western country
for six years. No employer dare employ
him. l have had to sell my furniture
three times in our married life. To keep
my family together l ran a boarding
house in Detroit. The foundry bosses
told the foundry men who were my
boarders that they could not board with
me if they wanted to remain in their
shops. The boarders sought employ
ment elsewhere. Then my butcher and
baker and grocer were tempered with.
and they were more easily persuaded
than the boarders In a little while l
could not feed my boarders or my chill
dren.''
Her husband, George Rodgers, is a
member of the Executive Board of Dis
trict Assembly "a, of which he is Chair
man. He is non-conservative in all
trade and union matters. He was born
in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, on Feb.
80, 1914. He lived in London, Canada,
and it was there he met and married his
wife. He was delegate from the Iron
Moulders' Union of London to the Inter
national Iron Moulders' Union, which
met in Philadelphia in 1870. He was a
delegate to the Richmond Convention in
1872 from Detroit. He has been Presi-
dent of the Trade and Labor Assembly
of Illinois for more than eight years,
and was Master Workman of District
Assembly "a and its Treasurer.